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Home Assistant MCP Server

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Get Camera Image

ha_get_camera_image
Read-onlyIdempotent

Fetch the current snapshot image from a Home Assistant camera entity for visual analysis, such as security checks or delivery verification. Returns an image, not state.

Instructions

Get a snapshot image from a Home Assistant camera entity.

Fetches the current camera image and returns it directly for visual analysis (security checks, delivery verification, confirming a garage door actually closed), in the format Home Assistant serves (JPEG, PNG, or GIF), alongside a short text block stating the served snapshot's size and retrieval time in Home Assistant local time.

Do not use it to inspect the camera's state or attributes — use ha_search or ha_get_state for those; it returns an image, not state. Use it when you need to see the current scene, and on high-resolution cameras pass width and height to reduce token usage.

EXAMPLE: ha_get_camera_image(entity_id="camera.backyard", width=640, height=480)

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
widthNoWidth for the resized image. Home Assistant rescales only when both width and height are given and the camera serves JPEG.
heightNoHeight for the resized image. Home Assistant rescales only when both width and height are given and the camera serves JPEG.
entity_idYesCamera entity ID (e.g., 'camera.front_door')

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. Changed2 schema fields changedv8.7.0
    • changedInput schema / properties / height / description
      Previous value: -"Height to resize the image to"New value: +"Height for the resized image. Home Assistant rescales only when both width and height are given and the camera serves JPEG."
    • changedInput schema / properties / width / description
      Previous value: -"Width to resize the image to"New value: +"Width for the resized image. Home Assistant rescales only when both width and height are given and the camera serves JPEG."
  2. Changed3 schema fields changedv8.6.0
    • addedInput schema / properties / entity_id / description
      Added value: +"Camera entity ID (e.g., 'camera.front_door')"
    • addedInput schema / properties / height / description
      Added value: +"Height to resize the image to"
    • addedInput schema / properties / width / description
      Added value: +"Width to resize the image to"
  3. First observedv7.14.2

TDQS

A4.6/5.0
Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already cover the safety profile (readOnly, idempotent, non-destructive, not open-world), yet the description adds genuinely new behavioral detail: the return format (JPEG/PNG/GIF), that the image is returned directly, and that a short text block accompanies it with size and retrieval time in HA local time. It stops short of describing failure modes (e.g., camera offline) but adds real value beyond the annotations.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Purpose is front-loaded in the first sentence, followed by return detail, exclusions, a parameter tip, and an example. Slightly long and a touch of framing prose ('for visual analysis'), but nearly every sentence carries information.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

With no output schema, the description correctly explains what comes back (the image plus a size/timestamp text block) and the supported formats. For a single-required-param read tool, nothing an agent needs to invoke and interpret it is missing.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100%, so the baseline is 3, but the description adds the intent behind width/height (reduce token usage on high-resolution cameras) and provides a concrete call example. This complements rather than repeats the schema's own descriptions.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

Specific verb (Get) plus resource (a camera entity's snapshot image) with the exact return described. It explicitly differentiates itself from siblings: 'use ha_search or ha_get_state for those; it returns an image, not state.' An agent can tell it apart from every other ha_ tool without opening a schema.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Gives concrete when-to-use scenarios (security checks, delivery verification, confirming a garage door closed) and an explicit when-not-to-use rule routing state inspection to ha_search/ha_get_state. It even includes a conditional usage tip for high-resolution cameras (pass width/height to reduce token usage).

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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